Festive displays light up the night

Sunday

Dec 15, 2013 at 6:31 PM

WEIRSDALE -- The brothers simply wanted to cheer up their mother that Christmas. Christmas Day was, after all, Glenn and Edna Cottom's wedding anniversary, but he had passed away a few months earlier in 1981.

By Rick AllenStaff writer

WEIRSDALE -- The brothers simply wanted to cheer up their mother that Christmas. Christmas Day was, after all, Glenn and Edna Cottom's wedding anniversary, but he had passed away a few months earlier in 1981.

It would have been their 62nd.

After Edna died a couple years later, the boys — Jim and Glenn Cottom — just kept lighting up the ranch on Marion County Road south of Weirsdale every Christmas. People began to ask when the lights would go on each year.

“It became a friendly competition between my father and my uncle,” said Debra Beesley, the oldest child of the younger Glenn Cottom. “It got to be, 'What can we do next year?' ”

Thirty-plus years later, the Cottom Farm Christmas display is a total family project, requiring months to prepare and featuring glittering lights numbering into the hundreds of thousands; no one really knows exactly how many.

It's generally one of the mainstays in this annual listing of holiday light displays.

And each year, it seems, the Cottom display gets a little larger — as if Jim and Glenn, who both died five years ago, are still competing.

Fifteen years ago they added a parking area because visitors would drive into ditches along the narrow road.

“They'd call up at 9, 10 and say they were stuck and could we pull them out,” said Danielle Newsome, Beesley's younger sister, adding that she's as excited by the lights today as she was as a girl growing up on the farm.

In 2009, the family added a Christmas village next to the parking area. And this year, a 20-foot-long snow slide debuted.

“We're just looking for something else to attract new and different people,” Newsome said.

Added her husband, Mark, who helped build it: “I used to come see these lights growing up as a kid. I didn't know what I was marrying into.”

Spread out over much of the 100-acre ranch, the lights and set pieces every year draw thousands of holiday-lights seekers from Marion and Lake counties, and from all over the U.S.

In the first few days of this year's display, folks from Vermont, Texas, Pennsylvania, Illinois and New York had dropped by — and they were the ones who signed the guest book.

Typically, as many as 1,500 visitors a night make the journey through dark roads to see these lights in the days before Christmas.

“Bet you didn't think you'd be seeing Christmas so early,” said Teddi Ryder to her grandson, Adam Lewis, visiting from upstate New York, as they wandered the village.

“Nope,” he responded. “We don't have anything like this up there. This is beautiful.”

The manor — Jim and Nita Cottom's home that's the focal center of the ranch at 4250 Marion County Road — is decked out with lights choreographed to music. This is something new this year, added by family friend Matt Franks.

“He's like my and my husband's adopted son,” Debra Beesley said.

Most visitors stay out on the road to fully appreciate the scale of this illuminated vista. Recently, the family added hayrides to the manor, now used mostly for weddings and receptions. Beginning this week, there will be nightly hayrides and tours of the manor. For a schedule of activities, check their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CottomFarmChristmasVillage.

Debra, meanwhile, recently greeted a throng of visitors in the manor's main hall, offering cookies, a cup of hot chocolate and the greeting to “please, make yourself at home.”

“It means a lot to keep my uncle and my dad's memory alive like this,” she said. Added Danielle: “We would not be able to do all this if God had not blessed us.”

Which leaves the question: Did Jim and Glenn's lights cheer up their mother 32 years ago?

“Absolutely,” Debra said. “Christmas was very special to them.”

It's not surprising: Festive lights at this time of year tend to warm most people's hearts. And this year, there's a heap o' heart-warming going on. Interestingly, some stalwarts are dark this year, while others dark last year turned on again in 2013. Plus there are some exciting new sites.

Also new this year is a separate listing of dancing displays — lights set to music, either choreographed to music broadcast on short-range FM or pre-programmed with a Lights and Sounds of Christmas unit.

Nevertheless, this is by no means a complete list; if you host, or know of, a large display of lights, please send the address and a description — a photo or two would be nice — with a subject line “Christmas Lights Addition” to rick.allen@ocala.com and we can add it to the online version.

Finally, the list

* Cottom Farm: 4250 Marion County Road, east of State Road 25, Weirsdale. Hundreds of thousands of lights in static and moving pieces. There's a lighted parking area, a Christmas village, hot chocolate and hayrides to the manor house most nights. New this year, the manor has lights choreographed to music and a 20-foot-long snow slide for kids. Directions: County Road 25 south to Marion County Road (look for the sign on the side of the road); left about three miles to the farm on the right.

* Misolyn Farm: 12279 SE 36th Ave., Belleview. Another mega-display most nights visible only from the road. But Friday through Monday the gates open from 7 to 9:30 p.m. for a closer drive-thru look; visitors are asked to bring canned goods to help stock St. Theresa's soup kitchen. Directions: By best route to County Road 467 south of 110th Street.

* Cade residence: 23373 NE 112th Court, Orange Springs. Out in the dark of northern Marion County near Horseshoe Lake Park is this oasis of light in excess of 175,000 lights. Though a little difficult to find, it's nevertheless popular every year. Directions: County Road 318 near Orange Springs; south on Northeast 110th Court to Northeast 234th Place; left to 112th Court.

* Painter residence: 15420 SE 24th Street Road, Ocklawaha. This is a small drive-thru village lit nightly between 6 and 10:30 p.m.; a definite bright spot in the Ocala National Forest. Directions: State Road 40 into the Ocala National Forest; right at County Road 314A (Forest Corners); left at 24th Street Road.

* Iler display: 17351 SE 65th St., Ocklawaha. A tradition begun years ago by Bob and Vi Iler is carried on by their family, illuminating this small lakeside corner of Woods and Lakes in the Forest. Directions: State Road 40 to County Road 314A (Forest Corners); right to Southeast 49th Street Road; left on Southeast 49th Street (it becomes Southeast 180th Avenue Road) to Southeast 65th Street; right to display.

* Corley residence: 58 Teak Course, Ocala. Fans of “A Christmas Story” get this one right away — the leg lamp in the front window. New this year is a pink bunny suit with the face cut out so fans can share the embarrassment of Aunt Clara's gift. The property literally drips with lights, and Bikini Bottom, Peanuts Gang and Whoville residents make this a holiday must stop. Directions: Baseline Road; east on Cherry Road (Rolling Greens entrance) to Cherry Court; right, house is in front of you.

* Atkins residence: 435 SE 61st Court, Ocala. This home is the centerpiece for the entire neighborhood at 61st Court and Fourth Place in this neighborhood behind Peppertree. While the Atkins house remains a vision in white and Victorian rose lights, this year they've added some additional color. It's still one of the most elegant displays around. Directions: Baseline Road; east onto Southeast Fifth Street; left onto Fourth Place; lighted homes are at end of street around the corner.

* Pecan Run Lane: This cul-de-sac in Silver Springs Shores is an annual destination for multitudes, and every home here is accounted for this year. Directions: Maricamp Road to Southeast 64th Avenue Road (first traffic light east of Baseline); north to Pecan Run Lane on left.

* Desmarais residence: 1120 SE 28th St., Ocala. One of the earliest mega-displays in the area, off Lake Weir Avenue. More lighted snowmen than Canada has snow. It was dark for a while, but returned a few years ago behind fencing, probably to fend off theft and vandalism, and it's as bright as ever. Directions: Southeast 17th Street to Lake Weir Avenue; south to Southeast 28th Street.

* Living Waters Life Center: 4551 SE State Road 121, Morriston. Small church, HUGE display that includes a living Road to Bethlehem as well as a Christmas village. It's a long way there on dark roads, but worth the drive. Directions: From Dunnellon, north toward Morriston on U.S. 41 to Southeast 60th Street; left on Southeast 60th to State Road 121; right on SR 121 to church on right. From U.S. 27, left on County Road 326 (it becomes Southeast 35th Street); right on Southeast 200th Avenue, left on Southeast 32nd Place; right on U.S. 41 to Southeast 30th Street, left on 30th to SR 121; left on SR 121 to church on left.

* 10880 SE CR 42, Weirsdale: This is a miniature version of Cottom Farm, more compact though not nearly as many lights; still, it's an oasis of holiday spirit south of Summerfield. Directions: South on U.S. 441 to County Road 42, left. It's about a mile on the right.

* Skinner residence: 542 SE 40th Ave., Ocala. This is a perennial display at the holidays a few blocks behind Ward-Highlands Elementary School. There's even a snow slide from the roof for some of the lighted pieces. Directions: South on Southeast 36th Avenue to Southeast Third Street; left to Southeast 40th Avenue; right.

* Trout residence: 5095 NE Ninth St., Ocala. For several years now, this display dominated by a life-size creche in Hunter's Trace off Northeast Seventh Street has brightened this development not far from Silver Springs State Park. Directions: East on Silver Springs Boulevard to Northeast 36th Avenue; right to the light at Northeast Seventh Street; left to Hunter's Trace entrance at Northeast 51st Avenue; left.

* Cedar Drive, Silver Springs Shores: This is a neighborhood effort; the centerpiece is the 100-plus building mini-city at 11 Cedar Drive. Directions: East on Maricamp Road to Pine Road; south to Cedar Road; then left on Cedar Drive.

* 6105 SE First Street, Ocala. The show runs from 6 to 10 p.m. nightly with music ranging from country, classical, rap and rock to kids’ songs. Pre-programmed, though the Mangano family promises an FM broadcast next year. Directions: Baseline Road; east onto Southeast Fifth Street; left onto Fourth Place go all the way to the end of the road house located on left corner.

Dancing displays

A few years back, the Newsom family in Rainbow Lakes Estates introduced lights set to music broadcast on short-range FM radio. The Newsoms are dark this year, but several others have picked up the mantel.

* 1801 NE 63rd St.: Small, but nice blinking trees. FM 90.3

* 4101 SE 26th Court Road: This features trees and other set pieces flashing and flickering to Trans-Siberian Orchestra's “Wizards in Winter!” FM 88.5

* 5049 NE SEVENTH PLACE (in Hunter's Trace): This is a nicely balanced display dominated by a lighted tree that performs some dazzling dances and swirls and huge waving snow people; also, Christmas videos are shown on the garage door. FM 107.3

* 5424 SE 58th Ave. (Baseline Road:) This year, the Church at the Springs debuts a dancing display on the exterior walls of the large church; expect this to get even bigger every year. 6 to 9 p.m. every night through Christmas. FM 95.1

* 830 NE 41st Ave.: A tradition in this neighborhood for so long the owner is referred to by neighbors as “the Christmas lady.” Pre-programmed display.

* 5494 SE 34th St.: Long a leading lighter in Indian Pines, they've now added music and a G scale train! Pre-programmed display.

Also submitted

* 12150 SE 98th St., Dunnellon: (Special directions: SR 20 to CR 484, right; 3 miles to 128th Ave., right at Hills of Ocala sign; follow to end at 107th Street Road, left; follow around curve to Southwest 99th Lane, right; follow to Southwest 125th Court Road past Happy Acres, left; follow to Southwest 98th St., right; house is on the right; owners warn the area is dark and sandy.)